I went out and test flew the PiDrone today, and it performed fairly well in some slight winds. Using the “Save Trim” function of the Pixhawk, I was capable of keeping the drone in a relatively stable hover in the air.

I only flew in Altitude Hold and Stabilize modes. Next time, I’ll try out Loiter, which requires a good GPS signal. Out in the park, the Pixhawk gets a GPS signal almost instantly.

Here are the vibration logs:

The acceptable ranges are:

X between -3 and 3

Y between -3 and 3

Z between -15 and 5

Both the X and Y axis are nearly entering the unacceptable range, which is a little bit worrying. However, the Z axis stays comfortably in the acceptable range most of the time. All three axis appear to suffer from massive spikes around the end of the flight, which is concerning.

To Log Vibrations, change the LOG_BITMASK paramater from default to Default + IMU. Then, when you view the logs, take a look at AccZ, AccX, and AccY under the IMU section. More info here.

I have purchased APC’s new multirotor propellers in an effort to reduce vibrations. They’ll come in a couple days and I’ll try them out. The current propellers and flimsy, unbalanced and not level.